大象传媒

Chapter Nine: Out of Action

A day or so after arriving at Burntwood, Dad and Hilda came up to see me and Hilda stayed on at a nearby house for a day or two, having managed to get time off from her Land Army job. My injury gradually improved so I applied for release from hospital and for 鈥楻eturn to Unit鈥� but found that it was not likely to be permitted in the immediate future. I learned that once you were in the system you had to go along with it. I remained at the hospital for about a month and was then transferred to a country house a few miles away.
It was a large impressive building standing in its own grounds and gardens which were very well maintained, both kitchen and flower gardens with greenhouses. The house was set back about half-a-mile from the main road, reached by a gravelled drive. It was possibly the A5 road because I remember Bedworth being only a couple of miles distant. There was a small village which could be reached just by crossing a couple of fields.
The house was actually a convalescent home with nurses in attendance and with routine visits from the doctors. There would have been about thirty patients there and none of us were ever called upon to perform any duties; there was nothing of a regimental nature and no sign of Army authority, just so long as we carried out our therapy work nothing else was demanded of us; that consisted of either of making patterned belts by the plaiting of coloured strings worked by securing the work to a chairback, or the creating of posies or brooches shaped as butterflies by threading tiny beads onto pliable thin wire.
Some men created beautiful work, hours were spent in this manner. I enjoyed it and it was fascinating to watch these soldiers who were more at ease with their guns then employed in that way. In most cases the finished articles were a pride and a pleasure to see; there is no doubt that it was helpful towards men鈥檚 recovery because it created an interest and rested the mind.
I had been there almost a month when I was granted seven days鈥� sick leave and Hilda got time off also so that our time was spent between Far Cotton and Irthlingborough. When we stayed at the latter, at Hilda鈥檚 home, we spent a lot of time walking in the fields, other than that we did little more than make the usual rounds of visits but most importantly we were together.
Back at the convalescent home life went on in its usual leisurely way, there was not a great deal to do. The weather at the time was quite summery, hot and sunny apart from the odd thunderstorm so the grounds and the garden were a delight to walk in.
There was the occasional evening film show, one I enjoyed and can remember was 鈥楧angerous Moonlight鈥� with the Warsaw Concerto musical theme. Some evenings we visited the village pub or the club and on occasions, having borrowed bikes, we rode as far as Bedworth for a drink.
There was once a very special outing when we were collected and taken by bus to an armaments factory in Birmingham where the workers had subscribed to a fund which provided for us a meal and a theatre show, each of us partnered by a female. We patients, in our hospital blues, must have presented quite a colourful sight, brightly arrayed in our sky-blue coat and trousers, white shirt and red tie. I doubt if today鈥檚 hospitalised servicemen are clothed in such a patriotic, gaudy manner. Anyway, we all really did enjoy our day and were grateful to those workers who made it all possible.
I had heard that my regiment was still fighting somewhere in Europe and as I was fit again I believed that very soon I would be able to rejoin them; I would have liked to be with them for what seemed to be the last phase of the war. It appeared to be only a matter of months before the final surrender of Germany and I thought that it was possible that I might be there to play a part at the end.
The Allies though had suffered a couple of recent setbacks, the landing of parachute forces at Arnhem was repulsed after some terrific fighting when they were met by the might of a German armoured division; although men battled bravely the odds were too great and they were badly mauled before they touched the ground, resulting in a great loss of life and material. Later, the Germans had counter-attacked through the Ardennes forest and almost accomplished the breakthrough, but the threat was overcome.
My time at the home came to an end and I was sent to a rehabilitation centre where it was the intention of the staff to prepare everyone coming from hospital for return to service conditions. The first of these centres to which I was posted was at Taunton and I remember the sight which immediately met my eyes on entering through the gates, it was that every stone, every kerb and every step was painted white with neat flower borders.
Every morning after a long boring roll-call and inspection we were made to form a continuous line and then to make a concerted sweep throughout the whole of the camp to pick up any litter and cigarette ends. In most such sweeps there was nothing to pick up because rarely was anything ever dropped due to the punishment meted out to anyone guilty of that offence.
There were many inspections for kit, barrack rooms or full parade dress. Lectures were given by staff of the Education Corps, often those periods were a good opportunity for a quiet snooze. Debates and discussions were a diversion, the subject which aroused most interest was when the Beveridge Report which had recently been published was made known to us.
It made us aware of the recommendations for the reforms which it was hoped the first post-war government would implement. Two of the most important issues at least as far as most servicemen were concerned was that of full employment and a health service free to all but paid for by taxation.
We were allowed out here at night but found that beer was in short supply. The many Americans in the area were seen to be given preference due to the amount of money which they had at their disposal. They were able to purchase almost anything they wished whether it was beer, whisky or even women. There was quite a lot of ill-feeling between our troops and those white Americans; we had a great deal of sympathy for their black counterparts because of the degraded way in which they were treated, they seemed to be very unequal partners.
It really wasn鈥檛 very pleasant to go out at night anyway because fighting regularly broke out. A lot of our boys were to blame by purposely seeking trouble with the Americans and their belligerent attitude provoked retaliation, most of those involved were our Guardsmen and the Parachutists.
It was a nightly occurrence to see them throwing Yanks out of a pub onto the street; a deal of the antagonism was the result of jealousy over the money they had to spend and their smarter dress and not least over their bombastic attitude. Also, on our part, there was much ill-feeling over the many 鈥楧ear John鈥� letters received by our men wherever the Americans had been stationed, causing either broken marriages or engagements.
I myself was unexpectedly involved one night while at the bar of a pub where it was known that beer was in short supply and there would not be sufficient to serve everyone. So I was patiently waiting my turn when I was elbowed out of the way by a persistent burly Yank to which I objected, as I was doing so I was pushed aside by two British soldiers who told me 鈥渙ut of the way, sergeant, we鈥檒l fix him鈥� and they did. Even so, it was not very pleasant and one of the reasons why we didn鈥檛 go out much while there. It was quite possible that any soldier in the vicinity of one of those incidents could just have easily been rounded up when the Redcaps appeared even though they were not the culprits but just soldiers out for a quiet drink. We had been told that there had been a lot of friction and ill-feeling well before the Second Front opened and that if it had not happened when it did the situation could have become more serious.
After a few weeks we were pleased to leave Taunton behind us and move on to Chester to a camp which I believe was called Seaton. There is not a great deal to record of my time there. I do remember that we watched the wartime 鈥楥obblers鈥� play against Chester.
In Chester there was one particular pub which we frequented (I鈥檝e long forgotten it鈥檚 name) where we were made most welcome and where the people were more hospitable than those at Taunton. If we had the price of a drink, what was called a 鈥榣atch-lifter鈥�, we were bought drinks for the remainder of the evening and became accepted by the locals as part of their group.
In that camp we all wore shoulder flashes of different colours, each colour denoting the nature of the injuries from which we were recovering; it was perhaps therefore red for an arm, blue for a leg and so forth. Each injury indicated by the colour worn. The system made it possible to allocate duties relative to the colour shown.
On morning parade when the duties were announced after a lengthy roll-call, we were lined up under the appropriate colour marker. Whatever one鈥檚 rank the colour took priority. Those of us known as 鈥榟and or arm鈥� therefore would not be likely to be called on for a duty such as 鈥榮pud-bashing鈥� and each of us among ourselves became 鈥楶rivate Leg鈥� or 鈥楥orporal Head鈥� and so on. It all sounded nonsensical but I suppose that it served its purpose.
Once again it became 鈥減ick up your kits鈥� time. Why it became so many times necessary to move camp was in no way clear to us but after being in Chester for about three weeks we were off again to Stoke-on-Trent. As it happened it turned out to be an improvement on either of the previous places; life was not so hectic and the billet to which I was allocated was a Nissen hut which held about twenty-four men, mostly sergeants but also several sergeant-majors.
The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, much enlivened by a Welsh sergeant who was one of those barrack-room comics which are often found. He was without doubt one of the funniest men that I had come across, always a different repartee which kept us entertained.
Discipline in the camp was not over-forced, just enough to cause you to realise that you were definitely back in the Army and the easy life of the convalescent home all in the past. The evenings spent in the Mess were very pleasant and were enjoyed among the good friends that I made there.
The permanent staff operated a racket in weekend leave passes which could be obtained over and above the normal one to which each was due. I was never fully conversant with the workings of the scheme because I wasn鈥檛 concerned enough to make myself acquainted with it. But as far as I became aware some of the senior NCOs were involved.
Apparently an application had to be made to the squadron office worded in such a certain way that the writer was willing to pay for the privilege of an under-the-counter pass. No doubt those persons living only a reasonable distance away were only too pleased to take advantage of it. In my case it wasn鈥檛 practical to take part because to travel as I would have had to, by train, the time actually at home would amount to little more than an overnight stay.
Although I have said that life at Stoke-on-Trent was not so hectic there was an incident occurred there in which I was involved It happened during my spell as Guard commander and was important enough to subsequently cause me many anxious weeks then and even after I had left Stoke.
It all began innocently enough when the Corporal reported that three prisoners had requested to use the latrines which were outside the Guardroom. I should have known better than to allow all three out together but one at a time. However, I did make sure that they were adequately escorted. I had cause to regret that I hadn鈥檛 been more strict because no sooner were they outside than a sentry shouted 鈥渢hey鈥檙e away, sarge!鈥�. With that I called out the Guard and set off after the escapees followed by the sentries.
The prisoners had a good head start and were racing across the park making for the gates. One of them veered off to the left into the thick undergrowth and trees where no doubt he felt that he would be able to conceal himself until the hunt died down. I caught up with him there and held onto him until the other sentries arrived. The whole of the Guard was then up with the prisoners and between us we captured the other two. The one which I had caught was resisting and attempted to break away again so that it took two sentries to restrain him as he persisted to struggle. We managed to get them safely back into the cells and securely locked in.
That though was only part of it for although they were back behind bars I had the very unpleasant duty of having to inform the regimental sergeant-major and then anxiously await the consequences, so really the worst was still to come. The RSM would be far from pleased that there had been a break-out in his domain, those are the incidents which he would have wanted to avoid because there would need to be an Inquiry which involved him and with myself being directly responsible for what happened. I wondered would charges be brought against me? Had I been negligent? All those thoughts passed through my mind as I sought out the Big Chief.
I was told at Regimental HQ that it was not at all the best time in which to make any approach to him and that I would at least be unpopular if I did so at that particular time as he would just then be taking his pre-dinner drink in the Mess and would not take kindly to being disturbed. It had to be done though. I asked an Orderly to inform him that I was the Guard commander and I would like to speak to him on a very important matter.
With that he came out to me, accepted my verbal report and being satisfied that the situation was then under control told me to have a written report on his desk next morning by 09.00 hours. That to me in itself was a problem because I had not the slightest idea of how to submit a report being only aware that there was a certain formula which must be adhered to in those circumstances. No doubt it was all set out in 鈥楰ing鈥檚 Regulations鈥� but although I admit it was remiss of me I was not too familiar with them.
When I went into the billet my fellow NCOs, having seen me at dinner time, wanted to know what my business had been with the RSM. I told them the story of the escaping prisoners and of my dilemma regarding the production of a suitable report. They were all very concerned and offered to help, finally two of the Military Policemen who were occupants of our hut and who as part of their daily duty knew all about those sort of things offered advice until a report was outlined. Then I and one of them retired to the Mess to write it out in a true and proper manner. Having done so we settled down to a drink on the strength of it.
In the morning, hoping that what I had to offer in the way of a report would be acceptable, it was duly placed on the RSM鈥檚 desk at the appropriate time and then I waited for the result. I expected to be called, perhaps to clarify something, or to receive some sort of order or comment but none came, not that day nor during the following week. In fact even months later I still expected to be summoned to a hearing or possibly a court-martial. It hung over me and I was just a little perplexed. I need not have been because I never heard another word then or since. That it ended for me as it did I was grateful to those policemen who were probably responsible for getting me out of a serious situation.
The next move for me came near to the end of 1944 and it took me to my own section of the Army, to the Armoured Corps Base Depot at Catterick. A garrison town much like Tidworth but with many more temporary buildings, so I was almost back to the real Army.
One of the first actions I took there was to apply for 鈥楻eturn to Unit鈥� and was informed that postings were continually being made and anything affecting me or anyone else would appear as usual on the Notice Board, all very short and to the point, so I just had to wait. I took charge of a hut of troopers waiting for postings as it appeared was everyone other than the regular staff.
In the sergeant鈥檚 Mess I met a man named Gibson who hailed from Coventry but had been stationed in Northants, in Rushden, and had married there to a local girl so we had that much in common as our wives lived only a few miles apart. Our leaves of seven days came up at the same time, so we travelled home together by train as far as Wellingborough. The weather was extremely foul and we shivered in the wintry morning as we stepped onto the platform; we then had a walk of a few miles to cover, he two or three miles more than myself; as 鈥楪ibbo鈥� said 鈥渢he walk will soon warm us up鈥�.
That was not quite how it turned out however because I agreed to his suggestion that we make a shortcut across the fields which would lessen the distance. I had accepted his suggestion because he assured me that he knew the area 鈥�...like the back of my hand鈥�, having carried out many schemes across those same fields when he had been stationed there, and rather than offend him I bowed to his superior knowledge of that part of the countryside.
Shortly after leaving the station we turned into the fields but were very soon forced to return to the road and to attempt elsewhere because we had encountered a thick hedge and could find no way through. We crossed the next one fairly easily but met with a deep muddy ditch and although eventually finding a gate it was on the far side of the field in the wrong direction; that led us into a ploughed field which we skirted but was quite boggy and our battledress trouser bottoms were beginning to show the result of our futile wanderings and our boots heavy with mud. We backtracked several times but everywhere we attempted to get through offered some kind of obstacle; after what seemed ages we managed to find a road and then the going became easier.
I suppose that we had been negotiating and circling those fields for about two hours, long enough to recognise some of them, having traipsed them over and over again. We laughed about 鈥榮hortcuts鈥� as we walked on, having taken twice as long as it should have done and when we emerged in Irthlingborough we were both in a dishevelled state, our legs and feet soaked, with large parts of those 鈥榮hortcut鈥� fields clinging to us. It was fortunate that there were no Redcaps in Irthlingborough on that morning as we entered. When 鈥楪ibbo鈥� left me and carried on to Rushden I told him that if I were him I would keep to the road, it would be quicker.
Everywhere was quiet apart from the distant throbbing of the planes on the local airfields. While traipsing those fields we had both been fascinated by the brightness of the skies to the east emitted by the landing lights of the numerous bases, Chevelston, Poddington, Molesworth and many more where planes were either warming up before the day鈥檚 operations or returning. It looked a real fairyland scene. There was, as far as I was aware, a general blackout order in force which would account for the amazing spectacle we beheld against the darkness elsewhere. It was obvious that the threat of enemy air strikes against our bases was over.
I made my way down to the Parks to Hilda鈥檚 home too early for most people to be about but her next door neighbour was preparing to leave for his work as a boilerman, where he had to make an early start. I gave him a knock and shared a mug of tea with him before he left by which time both Hilda and her dad were up, she would then have to bike to her work on the farm in Stanwick; her dad worked nearby in town.
Whenever I was on leave I marvelled at the meals which women such as Hilda鈥檚 mum or my mother were capable of providing even on the meagre ration allowance and in spite of the lack of choice of ingredients. When all of us were there for dinner Hilda鈥檚 mum cooked for seven persons, including her father and her brother who worked in town but lived in Rushden. It was truly remarkable to perceive those wonderful dishes which she placed before us which were both wholesome and substantial.
On our return from leave Gibbo鈥檚 wife and Hilda saw us off at the station and after being in Catterick for only a few days we were both given a posting to the same place. Whether it was thought because we were mates that they would send us off together I鈥檓 not sure, anyway it happened.
This time we were to report to a military prison where we were to instruct on gunnery, somewhere in the Chatham/Gillingham area; I cannot place it any more precisely because we were not there long enough to get our bearings but I believe that the prison was known as 鈥楩ort Darlan鈥�.
Whoever thought that prisoners be taught gunnery had not much idea. It didn鈥檛 take a lot of working out that the prisoners possibly knew as much about guns, perhaps more, than we did ourselves. It was probable that some among them were artillery men but we the teachers were only conversant with tank guns. Someone鈥檚 grand idea was beyond comprehension.
Shortly after arriving we were given a lecture and were instructed on a few prison procedures because it was pointed out that we might be called on to perform some prison duties. The wooden huts which were our billet were cold and draughty from where the wind blew through the warped boards, we sat wrapped in blankets in the evening when we wrote our letters. There was nothing for us to do, no-one bothered to go out of their way to speak to us, we had our meals in the Mess and sat alone. The weather was too bad to even look around the place to which we had been sent; I do remember how forbidding and sinister those buildings appeared, tall and gaunt with their blackened brickwork.
Almost a week passed and we had still not seen any sign of guns on which we were supposed to instruct but on the Saturday we were called on for prison duty which as it turned out was the serving of prisoners鈥� meals. At that time we had not even set foot inside the prison, hadn鈥檛 seen the cells or received any instructions with regard to the serving of meals or how the task should be carried out, consequently it all went wrong.
I was given a tray of food and told some cell numbers but had no idea of what to do from there on. I approached the cells and was about to look for door numbers and then all I can remember of the sorry incident was of a sudden rush of bodies and my tray was empty. I just stood there bemused and embarrassed; I couldn鈥檛 believe that the cells were unlocked but obviously some must have been and maybe the prisoners recognised a 鈥榞reenhorn鈥�, which of course I was, and therefore took advantage of it. I was taken off the duty immediately and strangely so was 鈥楪ibbo鈥� who had suffered a similar experience.
Back in the hut neither of us could come to terms with what had happened, it was bad enough we thought to have to accept the posting of gunnery instructors at that particular place but to have to do prison work for which we had received no training was quite a lot to have to grin and bear, we expected at any time to be called before someone in authority but nothing happened. As yet we had not met anyone who might be in charge but waited to receive a reprimand and some form of punishment so that on Monday morning we really thought that we would be marched in on some charge or other.
Over the weekend we discussed taking some action ourselves and resolved that we make an application to speak to someone in authority and ask for a return to Base on admittance of inefficiency, but when making enquiries as to whom we might see we were advised by someone that the best thing to do was to go on the Sick Parade.
We wondered whether this person giving us that advice knew something which we didn鈥檛. He was certainly a member of the prison staff, someone whom we had met in the Mess; neither of us had any reason to go sick and could well have been in trouble for wasting the MO鈥檚 time or of malingering, anyway we did 鈥榞o sick鈥� as was suggested.
We went in separately and he listened to me and my explanation of the position in which I found myself over the Saturday afternoon鈥檚 debacle. I was surprised to find him in sympathy over the incident and said that he was recommending that I be taken off the duty and returned to Base depot.

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